This disclosure relates to information retrieval.
Content items, e.g., advertisements, can be identified by a search engine in response to a query. The query can include one or more search terms, and a search engine can identify and rank the content items based on, for example, the search terms, e.g., keywords, in the query and one or more parameters associated with the content item.
Some online advertising systems are used in countries where the language includes compound words. A compound word includes two or more words merged together. For example, in German, the word for “flower bouquet” is the compound word “Blumenstraeusse” made up of Blumen (flower) and Straeusse (bouquet). Online advertising systems can be used in countries such as Germany where the language, German, includes compound words. Therefore, the search terms used in these queries can include these compound words.
Determining the appropriate advertisements to be displayed when a query is performed with search terms that are compound words can result in higher advertising revenue and a better user experience. Some advertising systems identify advertisements using the entire compound word as a keyword. However, other processes can be used to select advertisements associated with these compound words.